On Wednesday evening, June 24, the Boston Redevelopment Authority will welcome the general public to a community hearing on the Municipal Harbor Planning process. The goal of this congregation, as has been with similar ones held prior and surely more to come, is to hammer out details for waterfront development proposals – the most notable being Don Chiofaro’s attempt to re-imagine the Harbor Garage.

The New England Aquarium on Monday came out in opposition to developer Don Chiofaro’s plan to build a 600-foot tower on its doorstep, declaring that the aquarium would face “substantial financial risks” if the massive project goes forward.

Boston Magazine
The BRA crowdsources ideas for a better Boston.
by Mark Pasnik
May 13, 2015

Every 50 years seems like a rare enough occurrence to warrant a 24-hour celebration. And sure enough, to honor the launch of Boston’s first comprehensive planning in two generations, the BRA held the Innovative Design Alternatives Summit (IDeAS for short) on May 6 and 7.

The last time Boston invested in citywide planning, Bill Russell was playing for the Celtics, John Collins was mayor, Quincy Market was crumbling, and City Hall was only partway through construction. For the better part of a half century since then, Boston has been spot-planning rather than working with a single coordinated vision.

Waterfront residents packed into the Pilot House for a standing-room only meeting with State Representative Aaron Michlewitz to express their concerns about the proposed Lewis Wharf Hotel plan filed earlier this month by JW Capital Partners. Several North End / Waterfront buildings were represented at the meeting by condominium residents from Lewis Wharf, Prince Building, Commercial Wharf, the Mariner, Union Wharf, Lincoln Wharf, Battery Wharf and Harbor Towers.

Plans to redevelop Boston’s Hook Lobster pound property into a luxury residential tower got a boost as officials released a new set of guidelines for waterfront development. The family that owns the half-acre property at Atlantic and Northern avenues wants to build a 285-foot-tall residential tower with a 9,000-square-foot ground-floor restaurant.

After eight years of trying, developer Don Chiofaro is about to receive preliminary approval from Boston officials to build one of the city’s tallest towers, a megaproject that would redefine one of the most prominent stretches of the waterfront.